March 3, 2007

Local Filmmaker Seeks Fhe Big Time

By David Grimes

Dusty Clark on the set of his newest short feature "Caregiver" shot in Sevier, Blount, and Knox counties over three days last November.

A local filmmaker from Seymour is seeking his shot at the big time, thanks to an opportunity from Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg.

Dusty Clark, a young director and writer, is keen to take on the daunting world of major motion pictures. If things fall just right, he could be directing the next record-breaking blockbuster you see on the silver screen.

Growing up in Seymour, Clark always knew he wanted to make films.

"I was a big fan of Jurassic Park when I was twelve years old," Clark told the Times. "My friend Michael Mynatt and I would shoot home movies with an eight-millimeter Sony handheld, filming our own miniature toys. Then we'd ask our friends and family to act in them."

A graduate of Full Sail School of Film in Orlando, FL, Clark has just released a candidate short feature for FOX Television's new reality show, On the Lot, which will feature Spielberg and Burnett, to begin airing May 16. Clark described the show as "American Idol for filmmakers."

The final winner in the reality show will be offered a $1 million development deal with Dreamworks.

Clark and hundreds of other hopefuls have posted their short films to the show's website in hopes of attracting the attention of the producers. The features are reviewed by industry professionals, but grades are weighted towards public preferences.

That means the more positive reviews from ordinary viewers Clark's film gets, the better his chances of a shot on the show. It had already garnered more than 900 views and a rating of 4.5 out of 5 in its first five days of online exposure.

Titled "Caregiver," the film was shot over three days in November in Knox, Blount and Sevier counties. Outdoor locations seen in the film include Crawford's Farm on Sugarloaf Road in Seymour.

Clark held a casting call for the film's actors and received the assistance of Talent Trek, a Knoxville agency, in filling the roles.

"It's the first film that I've completely directed, written, and produced by myself," Clark said. " I Also paid for out of pocket." He stated.

Clark was pleased with the final result, although budget and equipment limitations kept the final cut from exactly mirroring his vision.

"The most challenging thing was editing the opening shot," Clark told the Times. "We had a lens malfunction, and many of the shots didn't turn out well." Clark had to dig deep into his skill set to achieve just the right look he was searching for.

Focusing on a day in the life of a young student named Scarlet, played by Carly Nash, and the youth who cares for her grandmother, the film was given an understated turn by the young Wesley Murphy, the film evokes quiet country side-roads and colonial interiors, with an excellent score based on "Moonlight Sonata" as performed by Nathaniel Scott, until the final few minutes, where a surprise twist awaits the viewer.

When I was younger, my mom would read me story books," Clark explained, "and I thought of Caregiver as a bit of a child's storybook. That kind of set the whole pace and tone of the movie."

"I wanted it to be like a lullaby. It's like sitting around the campfire and telling stories," he said.

Regardless of whether he makes the cut for On the Lot, Clark is determined to continue honing his craft.

"We'll take Caregiver onto the short film circuit," he told the Times, "and try and raise funds for my next feature."

Clark plans to shoot another film in Seymour this summer.

"It's a story about a father who has to make a difficult choice between whether his son lives or letting harmful people go free," Clark said of his forthcoming project.

The young filmmaker had some advice for those with big dreams like his own.

"Don't wait for opportunity to come to you," he said. "I waited so long for people to come to me and say 'I really like your work' or 'You're really talented, let's work together.' Finally I went ahead and did it myself." "Make sure you know the difference between what you want and what you dream of," he continued. "Dreams are things that you are extremely passionate about and make you happy to do. Make sure you know what your dreams are, then go ahead and do it."

Dusty Clark's short feature Caregiver can be seen online at http://films.thelot.com/films/8355